I’ll Kill Them Because I Hate You

Last week, I wrote about an unusual act of violence among the Dulangan Manobo—killing a non-relative to mourn the death of a loved one. Again, let me point out that such a murder rarely happens now, if at all. I find the Manobo a generally peaceful people, and what drive them to kill are often the same reasons non-Manobo have.

I promised, however, to discuss another unjustified extreme act of violence committed by a Manobo. As usual, my account is taken from Fr. Rafael Tianero’s Violence and Christianization in Manoboland. The murder occurred in 1988. A certain Giyok became furious with Ison, his younger brother. Instead of harming the latter, Giyok vented his anger on other people. With some fellow Manobo, he went amok in a neighboring village whose settlers were mostly Ilocano. The group killed one person and wounded five others.

This kind of killing is a case of “I’ll kill them because I hate you.” In contrast, killing a non-relative when grieving the loss of a relative is a case of “I’ll kill them because I love you.” Neither case makes sense. Both are unfair to the victims. Hearing such stories makes you wish not be on the path of a gloomy-looking Manobo.

Thankfully, the violent Manobo, called binusaya, is more an exception than a rule. The people in Kulaman Plateau are in greater danger of being stabbed by a “Christian” than by a binusaya.